Donate to the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame today

Dear Friends,

Don’t let the name of our organization fool you. Although one of the signature initiatives of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame (CLHOF) is to celebrate the city’s rich literary legacy by inducting past writers into the Hall of Fame, it’s not all we do. We also develop programming, events, and awards to honor Chicago’s living writers and to help foster new and emerging voices.

Earlier in the year, in collaboration with our good friends at After Hours Press and Third World Press Foundation, the CLHOF launched Wherever I’m At, a poetry anthology that features more than 150 Chicago poets and artists, an astounding project led by our founding executive director Don Evans. Our hope is that Wherever I’m At. arguably the richest anthology of living poets extends the reach of the voices represented within and finds its way into classrooms, libraries, and bookstores across the city, state, and beyond. If you don’t yet have a copy, order one today here!

The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame also hosted two Henry Blake Fuller Lifetime Achievement Award ceremonies this year—honoring two legends, the writer and poet Ana Castillo and newspaperman, author, and radio personality Rick Kogan. Both packed-house ceremonies were profoundly moving reminders of the important work Chicago writers put into the world and the enduring impact they have on our city and on the world.

We also worked with Stories Matter Foundation to create youth programming workshops in the city. 

All of this, in addition to inducting Ray Bradbury, Lisel Mueller, Ethel Payne, Harry Mark Petrakis, Carol Shields, and Era Bell Thompson into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

Among our most exciting plans for the new year will be our introduction of the Randall Albers Young Writers’ Award. We’ll also induct Finley Peter Dunne, Bette Howland, and Nella Larsen in the hall of fame, and we’ll honor Harriette Gillem Robinet and Scott Turow with the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement. 

As proud as we are of our accomplishments, as excited as we are about our future, none of our work happens without your support. All of you—writers, readers, bookstores, literary organizations, volunteers, educators, libraries, reading series —are integral to our efforts to honor Chicago’s great literary heritage and to ensure its continual expansion.

Please donate by visiting our website at https://chicagoliteraryhof.org/support and clicking on the grey “Donate” button. If you prefer, you can send a check to Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, 4043 Ravenswood, #222, Chicago, IL 60613. The CLHOF is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit charitable organization (TAX-ID 46-3016017). All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. 

The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame thanks you and we hope to see you at an event soon.

All the very best,

Amy Danzer
Board President, Chicago Literary Hall of Fame